Cavewoman Reflections: September

Cavewoman Reflections: September

I have found the last month to be a bit of a roller coaster of emotions. When ever I start a new project, like Cavewoman blog, I tend to throw myself into it heart and soul.  Sometimes that can be a good thing and other times it can have a negative effect.  With so many new ideas swirling around in your head, it is easy to become distracted or overwhelmed because you don’t have time to process them all

And that is exactly where I found myself this week, feeling a little lost and in need of inspiration. This cavewoman was definitely ” having a moment “, so it was time to assess how things had gone for September. Time for some Cavewoman Reflections.

Challenges

We all have our own strengths and weaknesses. You can read about the general characteristics of creative personalities here. The challenges I faced with the Cavewoman blog are similar to those I face with any project that I undertake. The following lists some of these challenges:

• Distractibility:  I would look up online information on childhood memory, only to be distracted by a link to an article about dreams.  This can be fascinating, but I think that I need to reign myself in.
• Perfectionism:  If I was writing a blog post, I would spend hours drafting and re-drafting it before posting. But the next day I’d look back at it, decide it wasn’t good enough and then start editing it again.  The irony is that most people read posts early on, so it’s unlikely they will ever see the new version.
• Disorganisation:  My files, notebooks etc include a lot of useful information and resources. However, because they are not well organised, it can be very frustrating when I need to locate a particular list or photograph.
• Impatience:  When it came to learning how to do new things, I would push myself to master them immediately, without taking into account how exhausting that could be.
• Lack of Discipline:  Having several conflicting ideas and dreams has often caused me problems creatively. Ironically, I think that blogging was my attempt to address this issue. A way to force myself to finally attempt to tie the threads together.

Progress

On a positive note, I’ve managed to come to terms with several technical issues related to blogging. It’s interesting what you can achieve in one area, in order to help you make progress in another. If I couldn’t master the technicalities, it would have been impossible for me to continue blogging. I’ve discovered some great websites  and some really interesting bloggers too. These have given me an opportunity to make new connections, which is a bonus. Blogging has also forced me to become more disciplined, it is like a welcome hanger on which to place my writing.  Last, and by no means least, I’ve learned to accept my limitations and work around them. This is why the time spent on Cavewoman Reflections was so worthwhile.

Thank You

Where would any of us be without support? This post would be incomplete without a mention of the great support I’ve received since starting Cavewoman blog. My mother, Helga and my sister, Mary, who have spent hours helping me re-focus my energies. My friend Evelyn, that great Donegal woman, who has helped me with both focus and ideas. And all the people who read this blog, you are stars!

I visited Bushy Park at the weekend, seeking help and guidance. And , of course, my family didn’t let me down. They listened patiently to my wound up words and realised that I was both over whelmed and losing focus. They helped me sort out my thoughts and ideas until, in the end, I was able to structure them intelligibly. As my sister said, ” You know what you want to achieve, you just need to put it into words. ”

Once I had sorted out my priorities, they helped me with the practical issues, like how to arrange and focus my blog. Because I had decided that I might include some posts about Bushy Park, my mother raided her vaults of precious photographs and memorabilia. I was shocked to discover items that I didn’t even know existed, like original writings by Dr. Noelle Davies.

Going Forward

What have my Cavewoman Reflections taught me?  They have helped me focus on why I started this blog and what it is that I want to achieve. They are also also helping me find my direction going forward.

I want to blog about the random bits, the thought processes behind what makes me tick , especially when it comes to my creative work. This includes the artists, the writers and the photographers who inspire me.  And if I find something that might be helpful to other creatives out there, I’ll add that in too. Finally, I’ll document my struggles and progress because I want to share this journey with you.  I might even add my poetry into the mix. You have been warned!

My Photo on flickr